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Traveller T20: Tales of the Bray Keaven [Updated 12-20-05]
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<blockquote data-quote="Shadowdancer" data-source="post: 1450556" data-attributes="member: 515"><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Library data on Alief</strong></p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></p><p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">0820 E672978-8 In R 410 I K3 V</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">The Alief system orbits a cool orange star, and comprises one major planetoid belt, no gas giants, a number of small rocky worlds, and one extremely large rocky planet (Named Duruusa).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief is a Red Zone, an interdicted world. Several of the nations of Alief are involved in open warfare (which is usually a cause for Amber, rather than Red, zoning). The Red Zone was implemented as a "status quo" measure, as various states were bankrupting themselves to bring in mercenary forces and high-tech equipment. Not only was this practice causing irreparable economic damage, but it also escalated the conflict further. The Red Zone is intended to keep matters from getting any worse while Diplomatic Service mediators try to resolve the various conflicts.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Ships of the Imperial Navy patrol nearby space to prevent any vessel from approaching the planet. The Interdiction Squadron is built around a 30,000-ton Interdiction Tender, which ships a phalanx of 40 light and 20 heavy fighters, for patrol work and area coverage, plus 20 armed cutters to carry the ship's Marine company for boarding and planetary rescue operations.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">The remainder of the squadron varies in composition, but normally comprises a pair of escort destroyers (1000t) and a number of patrol ships or close escorts (typically 4-6, of which at least two will be on distant patrol, away from the squadron).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Monitoring satellites provide area coverage, but vessels have slipped through the blockade from time to time. More commonly, incoming vessels are picked up by patrolling fighters and warned off, or caught attempting to slip through the satellite net and dissuaded by a few laser salvoes across the bow.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Like most Red Zones, it is possible to obtain permission to visit Alief. This would normally come from the Marquis at Sentry. Vessels presenting permission are boarded and carefully inspected by Marine contingents, whose job it is to ensure that no unauthorized personnel or items get through the blockade -- in either direction.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><strong>The Starport</strong></p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></p><p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief has no Starport to speak of, though there are a number of known safe landing spots (safe as in your ship won't sink into the ground or be washed away by floods, rather than safe and welcoming). The locals do have airports and even a few space–research bases, but off-–worlders would not want to land there.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><strong>The Mainworld</strong></p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></p><p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief is a mid-sized world with very little surface water. This is the source of the "tainted" indicator in the UWP -- much of the planet is desert, and the air is filled with fine dust that can make breathing difficult. Filter masks are thus necessary.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">It appears that Alief is drying up still further. The cause is unknown, though a steady drop in world temperatures cannot be helping. Alief's sun is apparently undergoing a brief and minor (in cosmic terms) fluctuation in energy output, resulting in a general cooling of the system.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief's population (all 4 billion of them, of whom 100 million are Vargr) are concentrated around sources of water, and gathered into dozens of distinct nations. As water sources have gradually dried up, so competition for control of those remaining has greatly increased. Alliances have formed and open conflict has broken out in various regions.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">This is the reason for the Red Zone -- significant areas of Alief's surface are war zones. The locals possess good TL-8 weaponry (including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons) plus some offworld imports. The Red Zone has kept further high-tech weapons and mercenaries out -- mostly. No blockade is airtight, so offworld advisors and equipment are available to some of the factions. There are also a few mercenary units on-planet. These units were permitted to remain when the Red Zone was established, as a "status quo" measure. As merc personnel are wounded or surrender, they are shipped offworld and not permitted to return, removing their influence by a process of natural wastage. High-tech weapons are removed by a similar -- but more destructive -- process.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Every major nation on Alief is capable of building high-quality jet aircraft, tracked armor, and personal small arms, and of maintaining those grav vehicles that are already present. Some lower-tech states cannot match these capabilities, but can still put up a fight with TL-7 or 6 small arms and converted civilian vehicles. One of the favorite conversions is to take the standard desert-operations hovercraft used by many civilians, and to fit grenade or rocket launchers. These fast-moving vehicles with their inaccurate but powerful armament can cause a great deal of harm to either side, depending upon how well or badly they are handled.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Not every nation is in conflict, of course. There is tension everywhere, but much of the competition is of a diplomatic or economic nature (sometimes backed by the threat of military force, true) and various projects are in motion to remedy the situation rather than simply fighting over the dwindling resources. This is one reason why permits are sometimes granted to offworlders to visit Alief; scientists and engineers are working on ice-melting or desalination plants, recycling operations, and other long-term solutions to the problem.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">When war does break out, it typically follows one of two patterns. If a developed nation attempts to annex a region and drive out the lower-tech inhabitants (or "benevolently subjugate" them), a guerrilla war results, sometimes with other developed nations supplying arms to the desperate underdogs. Such struggles can drag on indefinitely. The pattern between more developed nations is rather different, following a "strike and negotiate" pattern. The availability of weapons of mass destruction to all nations makes all-out conquest a dangerous option, so the plan is "grab what you can and sue for peace."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"><strong>The Rest of the System</strong></p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></p><p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">Alief is a necessary destination for Jump-1 vessels plying the cluster, but vessels are not permitted to visit the mainworld. To ensure continued commerce, a fuelling station has been set up in orbit around the smallest, innermost gas giant (named Urlainn). The station consists of nothing more than a small Navy surplus tanker owned and operated by a private company. Fuel is obtained by shuttles, which skim Urlainn's atmosphere for hydrogen to be processed by the tanker's onboard machinery and sold to passing ships. (Very) limited space is available aboard the tanker for ship crews to stretch their legs before resuming their journey. Life support supplies are available for sale aboard, and one or more free traders are usually docked to the tanker, delivering goods or offering them for sale direct to passers-by.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 10px">The large planet Duruusa is something of an oddity; it is extremely large but has virtually no atmosphere, and thus no life. It lies in a very distant orbit and has not been properly explored yet. Some regions are extremely volcanic, though most of the surface seems stable enough.</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shadowdancer, post: 1450556, member: 515"] [font=Verdana][size=2][center][b]Library data on Alief[/b] [/center] Alief 0820 E672978-8 In R 410 I K3 V The Alief system orbits a cool orange star, and comprises one major planetoid belt, no gas giants, a number of small rocky worlds, and one extremely large rocky planet (Named Duruusa). Alief is a Red Zone, an interdicted world. Several of the nations of Alief are involved in open warfare (which is usually a cause for Amber, rather than Red, zoning). The Red Zone was implemented as a "status quo" measure, as various states were bankrupting themselves to bring in mercenary forces and high-tech equipment. Not only was this practice causing irreparable economic damage, but it also escalated the conflict further. The Red Zone is intended to keep matters from getting any worse while Diplomatic Service mediators try to resolve the various conflicts. Ships of the Imperial Navy patrol nearby space to prevent any vessel from approaching the planet. The Interdiction Squadron is built around a 30,000-ton Interdiction Tender, which ships a phalanx of 40 light and 20 heavy fighters, for patrol work and area coverage, plus 20 armed cutters to carry the ship's Marine company for boarding and planetary rescue operations. The remainder of the squadron varies in composition, but normally comprises a pair of escort destroyers (1000t) and a number of patrol ships or close escorts (typically 4-6, of which at least two will be on distant patrol, away from the squadron). Monitoring satellites provide area coverage, but vessels have slipped through the blockade from time to time. More commonly, incoming vessels are picked up by patrolling fighters and warned off, or caught attempting to slip through the satellite net and dissuaded by a few laser salvoes across the bow. Like most Red Zones, it is possible to obtain permission to visit Alief. This would normally come from the Marquis at Sentry. Vessels presenting permission are boarded and carefully inspected by Marine contingents, whose job it is to ensure that no unauthorized personnel or items get through the blockade -- in either direction. [center][b]The Starport[/b] [/center] Alief has no Starport to speak of, though there are a number of known safe landing spots (safe as in your ship won't sink into the ground or be washed away by floods, rather than safe and welcoming). The locals do have airports and even a few space–research bases, but off-–worlders would not want to land there. [center][b]The Mainworld[/b] [/center] Alief is a mid-sized world with very little surface water. This is the source of the "tainted" indicator in the UWP -- much of the planet is desert, and the air is filled with fine dust that can make breathing difficult. Filter masks are thus necessary. It appears that Alief is drying up still further. The cause is unknown, though a steady drop in world temperatures cannot be helping. Alief's sun is apparently undergoing a brief and minor (in cosmic terms) fluctuation in energy output, resulting in a general cooling of the system. Alief's population (all 4 billion of them, of whom 100 million are Vargr) are concentrated around sources of water, and gathered into dozens of distinct nations. As water sources have gradually dried up, so competition for control of those remaining has greatly increased. Alliances have formed and open conflict has broken out in various regions. This is the reason for the Red Zone -- significant areas of Alief's surface are war zones. The locals possess good TL-8 weaponry (including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons) plus some offworld imports. The Red Zone has kept further high-tech weapons and mercenaries out -- mostly. No blockade is airtight, so offworld advisors and equipment are available to some of the factions. There are also a few mercenary units on-planet. These units were permitted to remain when the Red Zone was established, as a "status quo" measure. As merc personnel are wounded or surrender, they are shipped offworld and not permitted to return, removing their influence by a process of natural wastage. High-tech weapons are removed by a similar -- but more destructive -- process. Every major nation on Alief is capable of building high-quality jet aircraft, tracked armor, and personal small arms, and of maintaining those grav vehicles that are already present. Some lower-tech states cannot match these capabilities, but can still put up a fight with TL-7 or 6 small arms and converted civilian vehicles. One of the favorite conversions is to take the standard desert-operations hovercraft used by many civilians, and to fit grenade or rocket launchers. These fast-moving vehicles with their inaccurate but powerful armament can cause a great deal of harm to either side, depending upon how well or badly they are handled. Not every nation is in conflict, of course. There is tension everywhere, but much of the competition is of a diplomatic or economic nature (sometimes backed by the threat of military force, true) and various projects are in motion to remedy the situation rather than simply fighting over the dwindling resources. This is one reason why permits are sometimes granted to offworlders to visit Alief; scientists and engineers are working on ice-melting or desalination plants, recycling operations, and other long-term solutions to the problem. When war does break out, it typically follows one of two patterns. If a developed nation attempts to annex a region and drive out the lower-tech inhabitants (or "benevolently subjugate" them), a guerrilla war results, sometimes with other developed nations supplying arms to the desperate underdogs. Such struggles can drag on indefinitely. The pattern between more developed nations is rather different, following a "strike and negotiate" pattern. The availability of weapons of mass destruction to all nations makes all-out conquest a dangerous option, so the plan is "grab what you can and sue for peace." [center][b]The Rest of the System[/b] [/center] Alief is a necessary destination for Jump-1 vessels plying the cluster, but vessels are not permitted to visit the mainworld. To ensure continued commerce, a fuelling station has been set up in orbit around the smallest, innermost gas giant (named Urlainn). The station consists of nothing more than a small Navy surplus tanker owned and operated by a private company. Fuel is obtained by shuttles, which skim Urlainn's atmosphere for hydrogen to be processed by the tanker's onboard machinery and sold to passing ships. (Very) limited space is available aboard the tanker for ship crews to stretch their legs before resuming their journey. Life support supplies are available for sale aboard, and one or more free traders are usually docked to the tanker, delivering goods or offering them for sale direct to passers-by. The large planet Duruusa is something of an oddity; it is extremely large but has virtually no atmosphere, and thus no life. It lies in a very distant orbit and has not been properly explored yet. Some regions are extremely volcanic, though most of the surface seems stable enough.[/size][/font] [/QUOTE]
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Traveller T20: Tales of the Bray Keaven [Updated 12-20-05]
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